Balancing Wellness & Life
MEET JOHNETTE CRUZ
My fitness journey started back in 2015. I was a professional dancer so that was my only source of activity. In 2012 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. I’ve had 6 surgeries and 3 organs removed- after that I decided to take my health into my own hands. I was very weak in every sense of the matter and needed a life change. My specialists advised me not to run or compete in bodybuilding shows and of course I did them anyway! I wanted to push through and I was determined to make a change for the better. Out of this came a huge passion and desire to let people know that you can be at the lowest point of your life and still come back from it! Through that, birthed my business, Elevated by JC. Being disciplined required a lot of mental work- mindset change. You have to physically choose to be a better version of yourself when you wake up. It’s hard but I have found that there is such growth in being disciplined.
Nutrition is THE most important! You can work out all day long but if you’re not aware of what you are consuming and how much of it, you will not see any changes. Working out is the easiest part. It’s the nutrition part that actually does require a lot of new habit forming and mindset work.
Working out provides so much worth to the entire body, it’s important to add this to your normal schedule! It provides an area of release from stress, cardiovascular health, and builds your immune system...just to name a few. I would say that having a workout regime is a huge bonus to your mental health. It helps release endorphins, lowers your anxiety (if you deal with that) and also gives you a boost of energy and confidence. Just like anything else, if this is important to you- you will make time for it. It requires reprioritizing your wants and needs. I don’t believe people don’t “have time” to workout. They are just choosing different things in place of it.
I just actually finished a 9 week program for my clients right now on creating new habits! They take time. Focus on one small goal and make it realistic and attainable and build off of that once it’s established. Also, reevaluate your habit and how it can be beneficial to your own lifestyle!
@elevatedbyjc
elevatedbyjc.com
Nutrition is THE most important! You can work out all day long but if you’re not aware of what you are consuming and how much of it, you will not see any changes. Working out is the easiest part. It’s the nutrition part that actually does require a lot of new habit forming and mindset work.
Working out provides so much worth to the entire body, it’s important to add this to your normal schedule! It provides an area of release from stress, cardiovascular health, and builds your immune system...just to name a few. I would say that having a workout regime is a huge bonus to your mental health. It helps release endorphins, lowers your anxiety (if you deal with that) and also gives you a boost of energy and confidence. Just like anything else, if this is important to you- you will make time for it. It requires reprioritizing your wants and needs. I don’t believe people don’t “have time” to workout. They are just choosing different things in place of it.
I just actually finished a 9 week program for my clients right now on creating new habits! They take time. Focus on one small goal and make it realistic and attainable and build off of that once it’s established. Also, reevaluate your habit and how it can be beneficial to your own lifestyle!
@elevatedbyjc
elevatedbyjc.com
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Photos by @erinkayphotography
MEET THOMAS WELLS
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I grew up playing sports my whole life. I had dreams of being a professional athlete one day and when those dreams didn’t come true, I found myself in a dark place. Sports were my whole identity growing up and when that was taken away I was unsure of what I wanted out of life or where I wanted to go. I allowed myself to get lost in the distractions around me and never made time to focus on myself and my future. Working out became my only outlet and allowed me to free my mind of the stress and worriness. I started working out daily which really made me feel better about myself. Exercise has now become a daily habit of mine and I feel “off” if I do not do some type of physical activity each day. Nutrition is just as important as exercising regularly. It is impossible to outwork an unhealthy diet. I look at nutrition as the foundation of fitness and reaching your fitness goals. Having a proper diet will help you have the energy to complete your workouts at your highest intensity. It will also help your body recover from your workouts because you are getting the proper nutrients that your body needs.
I believe that everyone should push to be the best version of themselves and not let anything get in the way of that. Exercise is a great tool for doing so. For someone who is just getting started in fitness, I would recommend determining your “why.” Find the intrinsic motivation to better yourself day in and day out because that is the motivation that will last forever and will make the process a lot easier to stay consistent with. Along with that, consistency is key. One thing that has helped me stay consistent is writing out my plans for the day and/or week. This helps me know exactly what I need to do and helps me stay disciplined as well. Making time for your goals is just as important and writing out your plans helps with making the time you need to dedicate to your fitness. It is important to find a routine that works best for you and your schedule and to stick to it. That may mean doing 30 minutes of exercise before work and 30 minutes after work. It may be hard to see the bigger picture when you are just starting, but building on each day and seeing the improvements/progress is really motivating! Improving your fitness level is not an overnight thing. It takes dedication and patience but it will pay off if you put the work! Be willing to make the investment in yourself and your health and you will not regret it. @thomasw_iii |
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MEET KAYLA KELLER
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I am Kayla Keller and I am the owner of High Level Fitness and Therapy. I have been in the Sports Medicine and Fitness fields for over 10 years. My passion for fitness began in 2004 and has only increased as time has gone on. I challenge all of my clients to dig deep and find the athlete inside of them!
What I love most about fitness is that there is something for everyone. Often, the message in society is that everyone has to look the same or show up at the same fitness level and that is not true. Everyone starts somewhere and even the pros are still learning because health and fitness is ever evolving. If you aren't sure where to start, I suggest home workouts. You are in the comfort of your own home and don't have to face feeling out of place in the gym. Feeling out of place and/or not knowing what to do is the most common reason people don't go to the gym when they begin their fitness journey! Research tells us that 70-80% of fitness is diet, which is correct! Exercise plays an important part, but how you eat ultimately determines if you're going to lose or gain weight, if your muscles will grow, as well as how well you recover from those workouts. We eat to fuel our bodies and stay far, far away from dieting! Dieting is not a word I ever use with my clientele. We want permanent lifestyle changes, not instant results that are fleeting. Consistency is the 2nd most important aspect. The more you show up for yourself and your body, the bigger benefit and the more changes you'll see. It takes HALF the time to lose muscle as it takes to build it up. The biggest part of consistency is setting yourself up for an attainable schedule. You can have all the motivation in the world, but if you start off too vigorous, people tend to lose steam and drop off faster from their goals. Make sure you are setting small as well as large goals. This allows for more steady moments of victory during the process! Remember - all small goals add up to large goals, Instead of focusing so much on the scale, focus on how you are feeling and how your clothes are fitting. For me personally, the gym and exercise is my therapy. The gym is where I get to detach from work and all other daily expectations and just focus on myself. It is the part of my day where I know that no matter what, I get to honor myself and my needs during that time. You owe it to yourself to carve out part of the day for tending to you. Write it in your planner just like you would any other appointment. Exercise gets the dopamine flowing as well as diminishing cortisol levels, so you're literally introducing a happy cocktail to the brain and body! Kayla Keller, M.Ed, LAT, ATC, CES, CNC, CPT, PES www.highlevelfittherapy.com @highlevelfit |
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Photos by @etherealxcreations @xtinamariaaa